Haiti: Gangs dominate over half of capital as 20,000 people face catastrophic famine-like conditions, UN warns

Gangs dominating nearly 60% of Haiti’s capital are tearing society apart, as almost 20,000 people in Port-au-Prince face “catastrophic famine-like conditions”, a senior United Nations official has warned.

The gangs are using “terrifying levels” of sexual violence “as a weapon” to keep populations under control, instil fear, and to punish them, said the country’s UN humanitarian coordinator, Ulrika Richardson, at a news conference.

The fight for territory has “a human cost” and what people are facing on an everyday basis is “enormous”, she added, warning that if the issue is not addressed now, it will be “very difficult in terms of social cohesion and reconciliation”.

She said all but 1,000 of the 20,000 Haitians facing starvation are in Port-au-Prince, mainly in the Cite Soleil slum controlled by the gangs.

This comes as a cholera outbreak in the Caribbean nation “continues to be a worry”.

The illness has caused at least 283 deaths so far and close to 12,000 people have been treated in hospital since 2 October.

There are more than 14,000 suspected cases throughout the country, and infections have been confirmed in eight of Haiti’s 10 regions.

An emergency appeal aimed at raising more than $145m (£118m) to contain the spread of cholera in the nation was launched in November. Around $23.5m (£19.2m) has been donated so far, said Ms Richardson.

She added that this needs to “increase” and that the UN is already preparing their 2023 humanitarian response for Haiti, appealing for $719m (£587m).

‘Massive displacement’

Political instability has simmered since the unsolved assassination last year of President Jovenal Moise, who had faced demonstrations calling for his resignation over corruption charges.

Insecurity in the country has led to the “massive” internal displacement of 155,000 people fleeing their homes – a 77% increase since August.

Many are the “most vulnerable”, such as women and families, who are in temporary sites or being hosted in communities.

Ms Richardson said they are working with institutions to figure out how to address the issue since those hosting the displaced have “meagre” resources.

School closures have affected around four million children, many of whom have not received proper education since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the humanitarian chief.

In a more positive development, more than half of schools have now opened, said Ms Richardson. Although, there is “disparity” in that most of them are in the south.

“We have logistical challenges, you can imagine, and the security challenge, but we are able to be present and we are able to help people,” she said.

“We are obviously focusing on the most vulnerable, but we also try not to lose focus on the real structural root causes.

“So, we have corruption, we have impunity, we have governance, and all of that needs to really be at the centre also of our thinking as we go forward.”